Overview

The Activity Center —affectionately nicknamed the “Mall of Motion” —is New Eden’s comprehensive fitness and recreation facility, one of the five original buildings encircling the central roundabout. Its exterior matches its neighbors, but inside, it is a world of movement: swimming pools, dojos, dance studios, climbing walls, courts, and open spaces that transform to meet the colony’s needs.

More than just a gym, the Center serves as the colony’s flexible community space. Its open floors have hosted art exhibitions (including-maya keahi’s pre-gallery shows), weddings, festivals, and the annual New Eden Games. When the colony gathers to celebrate, move, or compete, it gathers here.

🏊 Olympic Pool

🧘 Yoga Studio

🥋 Sundome Dojo

🤸 Gymnastics

🥋 The Sundome Karate Lineage

Sensei Onishi Kisa

Founding Sensei • Sundome Karate Master

Sensei Onishi established the Sundome Karate dojo in the Activity Center from the colony’s earliest days. Sundome—the art of the “one-inch stop”—emphasizes control, precision, and the ability to deliver force at the very last moment. It is as much a philosophy as a martial art: restraint is strength, and the best strike is the one you could have thrown but chose not to.

Onishi taught generations of New Eden’s youth, including a young Celectra Carisco-Bowers. Their dojo is a place of discipline, respect, and the endless pursuit of perfect control.

Aulii Vongphachanh

Sensei (from-book 5) • Tournament Champion

Aulii first made her mark in Book 2 , when she defeated Celectra in the annual Sundome Karate tournament. The match was hard-fought, and Celectra’s silver medal was earned through extraordinary effort: she fought the entire tournament with one body , while her other body remained in Seiza (sitting-meditation) to keep the competition fair.

Over the following years, Aulii trained under Sensei Onishi, developing not just her technique but her teaching philosophy. When Onishi stepped down in Book 5 , Aulii was the natural successor—respected by students, feared by opponents, and deeply committed to Sundome’s principles of controlled power.

Council Representative: Chibuike Okafor holds Seat 7, representing athletics and recreation on the colony council. A former athlete himself, Okafor ensures that the Activity Center receives the resources it needs and that physical health remains a colony priority.

🏆 The Book 2 Sundome Karate Tournament

The annual tournament is one of the Activity Center’s most anticipated events, drawing competitors and spectators from across New Eden. The Book 2 tournament became legendary for a single reason: Celectra Carisco-Bowers chose to fight at a self-imposed disadvantage.

The Champion

🥇 Aulii Vongphachanh — Won the tournament outright, defeating Celectra in the final match. Her victory was clean, skilled, and well-deserved.

The Silver Medalist

🥈 Celectra Carisco-Bowers — Fought the entire tournament with one body while her other body remained in Seiza (sitting-meditation) throughout the building. She imposed this handicap to keep the competition fair, believing that using both bodies would give her an unfair advantage.

Despite fighting at half capacity, Celectra advanced through bracket after bracket, reaching the final against Aulii. The match was close—those who witnessed it still debate whether a fully-embodied Celectra might have won—but in the end, Aulii’s technique prevailed. Celectra accepted silver with grace, and the two competitors gained lifelong respect for each other.

The tournament solidified both women’s reputations: Aulii as a rising star, Celectra as someone who would sacrifice victory for fairness. When Aulii became Sensei in Book 5, Celectra was among the first to congratulate her.

Celectra’s Journey Through Motion

The Activity Center has been a constant in Celectra Carisco-Bowers’ life, from childhood classes through postpartum recovery. Her relationship with movement mirrors her broader journey: disciplined, adaptive, and never giving up.

Youth: The Rotating Cycle

During her childhood and adolescence, Celectra’s physical education followed a rotating weekly cycle that kept her engaged with diverse movement forms:

• Karate (sundome) — Under Sensei Onishi, learning control and precision
• Acrobatics — Tumbling, balance, and aerial awareness
• Swimming — In the Olympic pool, building endurance and breath control
• Yoga — Flexibility, mindfulness, and connection between bodies
• Gymnastics — Strength, form, and apparatus work
• Dance — Expression, rhythm, and coordination
• Physical Education (pe) — General fitness and team sports

This diverse foundation gave Celectra a kinesthetic intelligence that would serve her throughout life—in the caves with the Galistanians, in the ANI lab, and eventually in motherhood.

Young Adulthood (ages-21-22): Pregnancy and Diastasis Recti

During her pregnancy with twins (conceived-during the book 3 ani project), Celectra’s right body —the biological mother of the twins—faced significant physical limitations. Diastasis recti (separation-of abdominal muscles) made many of her accustomed movements difficult or impossible.

Her left body continued training, but the right body had to modify everything. For someone who had always moved freely, this was frustrating—a reminder that even the most disciplined body has limits.

Postpartum: Slow Resumption Under Medical Guidance

After the twins’ birth (november-15, 2247), Celectra worked closely with Dr. Alex Cruiz to resume physical activity safely. Her postpartum protocol included:

• Gentle yoga to rebuild core strength without strain
• Swimming for low-impact cardiovascular conditioning
• Modified karate drills focusing on form rather than power
• Physical therapy for diastasis recti recovery

Cruiz monitored her progress closely, and Celectra—always disciplined—followed his guidance without rushing. By the end of Book 5, she was training again, though she accepted that her right body might never return to its previous peak. Her left body, which had not carried the pregnancy, remained fully capable.

I spent my whole life learning to control two bodies. Then one of them did something the other couldn’t—created life—and I had to learn all over again. The Activity Center was patient with me. So I learned to be patient with myself.

— Celectra Carisco-Bowers, Book 5

Facilities

Area	Features
Aquatics Wing	50-meter Olympic pool, therapy pools, water polo area, spectator seating
Sundome Dojo	Traditional mat space, meditation corner (seiza-area), competition ring
Dance Studios (3)	Mirrored walls, sprung floors, ballet barres, sound systems
Yoga & Meditation Studio	Heated floors, soft lighting, panoramic views of the roundabout
Gymnastics Hall	Floor exercise area, vault, balance beams, uneven bars, foam pit
Acrobatics Space	Tumble track, aerial silks rigging, tumbling mats
Climbing Center	15-meter climbing wall with variable routes, bouldering cave, auto-belays
Multi-Sport Courts (2)	Convertible spaces for basketball, volleyball, badminton, futsal
Cardio & Strength Floor	Biometric-integrated equipment, free weights, Utara-guided form correction
Locker Rooms (ground-level, rear)	Access to outdoor fields; see detailed section below
Open Event Hall	Flexible space for exhibitions, weddings, tournaments, community gatherings
Smoothie Bar & Lounge	Post-workout gathering spot, social hub for athletes and families

Locker Rooms & Outdoor Access

🚪➡️🏞️

Ground Level, Rear — The locker rooms are positioned at the building’s rear, providing direct access to outdoor sports fields. This design allows athletes to change indoors, step outside to play, and return for showers without tracking mud through the main facility.

The outdoor fields accommodate soccer, rugby, ultimate frisbee, and the annual New Eden Games opening ceremonies. During pleasant weather, they’re among the most active spaces in the colony.

More Than Athletics: A Community Hub

The Activity Center’s open spaces and flexible design make it the colony’s default gathering place for events that don’t fit elsewhere. Its large, empty floors can be transformed in hours to host almost anything.

Art Exhibitions (pre-gallery)

Before the Samaya Gallery was built (between-books 4 and 5), the Activity Center was New Eden’s primary exhibition space. Maya Keahi mounted her early shows here, using:

• Empty dojos — Her first major solo exhibition, “Bodies Like Ours,” transformed a martial arts space into a gallery
• Dance studios — Immersive installations with mirrored walls
• Yoga rooms — Meditative exhibitions in naturally quiet spaces
• Gymnasiums — Large-scale shows during holiday closures

These temporary exhibitions built cultural momentum that eventually led to the Gallery’s construction. The Activity Center remains available for overflow exhibitions and community art shows.

Weddings & Celebrations

The Open Event Hall, with its high ceilings and adaptable layout, has hosted countless colony celebrations:

• Weddings — Including several notable unions (amerigo-& zoë celebrated their marriage here, later celectra and jaxon did.)
• Coming-of-age ceremonies — Marking colonists’ transitions to adulthood
• Holiday festivals — Seasonal gatherings with food, music, and dancing
• Memorial services — When the colony mourns together

The Annual New Eden Games

The Center’s signature event is the New Eden Games , a week-long competition that brings the entire colony together. Events include:

• Swimming and diving competitions
• Sundome Karate tournament (where-celectra won silver in book 2)
• Gymnastics and acrobatics showcases
• Team sports championships
• Climbing competitions
• Dance performances and battles

The Games conclude with an awards ceremony in the Open Event Hall, followed by a colony-wide celebration that spills onto the outdoor fields.

Council Seat 7: Athletics & Recreation

Seat	Portfolio	Incumbent	Notes
7	Athletics & Recreation	Chibuike Okafor	Represents Activity Center, youth sports, colony games, physical wellness

Chibuike Okafor brings an athlete’s perspective to the council. A former competitor himself, he advocates for:

• Funding for youth sports programs and facilities
• Recognition of physical wellness as equal to medical and mental health
• Support for the annual New Eden Games
• Maintaining the Activity Center’s flexibility for community events

Okafor is known for his ability to find common ground—perhaps a result of years spent mediating disputes between competitive athletes. He works closely with Dr. Zoë Carisco on the psychological benefits of exercise and with Chibuike (yes,-he shares a first name with the council member; they are not related) on facility maintenance.

Activity Center Timeline

Period	Event
Pre-Series	Center established as original five; Sensei Onishi Kisa founds Sundome Dojo
Celectra’s Youth	Weekly rotating cycle: karate, acrobatics, swimming, yoga, gymnastics, dance, PE
Book 2	Sundome Karate Tournament: Aulii Vongphachanh defeats Celectra (silver); Celectra fights with one body, other in Seiza
Books 2-4	Maya Keahi’s pre-Gallery exhibitions use empty dojos, dance studios, yoga rooms, gymnasiums
Book 3	Celectra’s pregnancy limits right body’s activity; diastasis recti diagnosis
Late Book 3	Postpartum recovery begins under Dr. Cruiz’s guidance; slow resumption of movement
Between Books 4 & 5	Samaya Gallery opens, reducing but not eliminating Center’s art exhibition role
Book 5	Aulii Vongphachanh becomes Sensei of Sundome Dojo; Celectra’s recovery continues

Cultural Significance

The Activity Center embodies New Eden’s belief that movement is essential —not just for fitness, but for community, expression, and joy. Its nickname, the “Mall of Motion,” captures its role as a place where colonists browse activities the way earlier humans browsed stores: trying new things, finding what fits, returning to what they love.

In the Novels

• Throughout: Background presence as Celectra trains, competes, and recovers
• Book 2: The Sundome tournament is a major set piece, establishing Aulii as a character and showcasing Celectra’s ethics
• Books 2-4: Maya’s exhibitions here build the case for a permanent gallery
• Book 3: Celectra’s modified training during pregnancy appears in quiet character moments
• Book 5: Aulii’s installation as Sensei marks a changing of the guard

The Sundome Philosophy

The one-inch stop—the ability to deliver force at the very last instant, or to withhold it entirely—resonates beyond the dojo. Celectra’s choice to fight with one body embodied Sundome’s principle: true strength is knowing when not to use all your power. The philosophy influences her diplomacy with the Galistanians and her approach to motherhood.

A Space for Everyone

Unlike the specialized buildings around the roundabout, the Activity Center belongs to everyone. Athletes train here, yes, but so do children learning to swim, elders practicing gentle yoga, artists mounting exhibitions, and couples celebrating their weddings. It is the most democratic of the original five buildings—a place where movement, in all its forms, is honored.

At a Glance

Aspect	Detail
Building Type	Original five (identical-exterior)
Council Seat	7 — Chibuike Okafor
Sundome Sensei (books-1-4)	Sensei Onishi Kisa
Sundome Sensei (book-5+)	Aulii Vongphachanh
Notable Tournament	Book 2: Aulii defeats Celectra (silver)
Celectra’s Youth Activities	Karate, acrobatics, swimming, yoga, gymnastics, dance, PE (rotating-weekly)
Key Flexibility	Open spaces host art, weddings, community events
Outdoor Access	Locker rooms lead to sports fields